THE 10TH Infantry Division (10ID) declared all 84 municipalities and cities within its jurisdiction cleared of communist insurgency.
The announcement, made during a press briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel, positions the 10ID as potentially the first infantry division in the country to achieve a totally “insurgency-free” status across its entire area of responsibility.
Major Ruben Gadut, 10ID public affairs chief, confirmed that the status covers the entire Davao Region and strategic clusters in neighboring provinces, including parts of Sarangani, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, Bukidnon, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur.
“Technically speaking, all areas in 10ID are already insurgency-free,” Gadut told reporters. “We are likely the only Infantry Division in the Philippines to have its entire area of responsibility declared NPA-free.”
The “insurgency-free” designation follows a rigorous validation process by local peace and order councils.
According to Gadut, the 10ID met the stringent parameters set by the AFP-PNP Joint Letter Directive III, which measures the “manpower, firepower, and influence” of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).
“In our case, there is no one left. They can no longer function as a guerrilla front or conduct tactical offensives. No soldiers will be ambushed because the manpower is dismantled and firepower is non-existent,” Gadut explained.
The military credited the success to the Community Support Program (CSP), which cleared infiltrated barangays and facilitated the delivery of government services to former conflict zones.
With the internal threat neutralized, 10ID commander Major General Alvin Luzon has sought a mechanism to hand over the lead security role to the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local government units (LGUs) so they could shift toward external defense.
“We can now focus on protecting our territorial integrity and sea areas,” Gadut said, noting the proximity of the region to the West Philippine Sea. “It is not far-fetched that [external threats] could possibly happen in our coastal areas, and we must be ready.”
A shared victory
The 10ID attributed the victory to a “whole-of-nation” approach, citing the cooperation of local leaders and the media in dismantling the insurgents’ narrative.
“This is not only an advantage for the Army but for the whole Davao region,” Gadut said. “The communities now participate in government programs without resistance or support for armed threat groups.”
